Changeable sight



l. W. THOREAUH CHANGEABLE SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED ocr. a. 91s.

Patented Aug. 26, 1919.

2' SHEETS-SHEET 1'.

WITNESSES mu'll 1:0,. wAsluNm'oN. n. c.

J. W. THOREAU.

CHANGEABLE SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 8. 1913.

Patented Aug. 26, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET2.

llllllll llllllllllll INVENTOR John WJ'hm'eaw.

WITNESSES A TTORNEYS 'rlln coLumulA ruNouRm-n cu., WASHINGTON. D. c

JOHN W. THOREAU, OF GEDDES, SOUTH DAKOTA.

CHANGEABLE SIGN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 26, 1919.

Application filed October 8, 1918. Serial No. 257,368.

'1 '0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, J OIIN W. THonnAU, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Geddes, in the county of Charles Mix and State of South Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Changeable Signs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in signs and more particularly in changeable signs, and it consists in the constructions, combinations, and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a sign adapted more particularly for use in show windows, although the use of the sign is by no means limited to this particular field, one of the foremost features being the ability to make innumerable color and display combinations by the use of suit ably made insertible letters and devices.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sign of the class described, the tangs or projections of the insertible letters being arranged to provide mutual supports for each other so as to prevent the letter bearing plates from dropping out or becoming disarranged, even should the sign be knocked over.

A further object of the invention resides in the novel means for reinforcing or stiffening the card board mount which constitutes the base of the sign.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved changeable sign,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the sign, showing how it appears in back,

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of a part of Fig. 2, showing how the tangs of the letter bearing plates mutually support each other,

Fig. 4 is a detail cross section on the line 44 of Fig. 3,

Fig.5 is a perspective view of a slightly modified form of sign, wherein stifiening members on the back are used to reinforce the relatively narrow card board mount,

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing how the letter bearing plates are pressed on the mount, the backwardly turned corners serving to raise the mount and prevent the tangs from striking the table,

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the letter-bearing plates,

Fig. 8is a perspective view of one of the picture bearing plates,

Fig. 9 is a section similar to Fig. 1, illustrating that the bent tangs may be left straight, and

Fig. 10 is a cross section on the line 1010 of Fig. 6.

In the simplest form of the invention, the changeable sign comprises a card-board mount 1 in the shape of a flat piece as shown in Fig. 5. A plurality of horizontal rows of slits 2 are made in the card-board mount. In certain forms of the sign as for instance in Fig. 5, a pair of reinforcing ribs or angles 3 are applied to the back to strengthen the card-board mount and prevent it from bending.

In another form of the sign, corner pieces 4' and intermediate pieces 5 are bent in for purposes of ornamentation and strengthening the mount, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The preferred form of the invention is shown in these two figures, but obviously either form of the invention may be employed at will. This will be governed principally by the shape of the mount. A still further modification consists of leaving ofi the strengthening ribs 3, and simply using the corner and intermediate pieces 4 and 5 as in Fig. 6.

The sign is primarily intended to be made of card-board or an equivalent substance. For this reason the corner and intermediate pieces 4 and 5 must be strengthened by metal clips 6 which are applied substantially in the manner shown. The same applies to the ribs 3, where metal clips 7 are used for the same purpose. The ribs 3 are made of card-board bent over substantially into the shape shown, and simply glued to the back of the mount.

Either a hanger 8 as in Fig. 5, or a stand 9 as in Fig. 2, may be used to support the sign. In the former instance, the ribs 3 form spacers between the wall and the mount 1 to prevent the tangs of the letter bearing plates from pressing against the wall and possibly causing the loosening of the plates.

The stand 9 is pivoted at 10 to strengthening ribs 3 which in the instance in Fig. 2 are arranged along vertical edges of the mount. A"lug 11 prevents the stand from swinging too far out, The stand is short enough so as to fall inside of the lower strengthening rib 3 when it is desired to lay the sign on a table for the insertion ofthe tangs of the letter hearing plates .as illus-' trated in Fig. 6.

The letter bearing plates 12 have tangs 13 which are to be pressed into the slits 2. Inapplying the plates as in spellinga word, companion tangs of companion plates are pressed into the same slit." The 'frictionbetween the two is sufficient to hold rthQ :plates on. the mount even should the sign he inadvertently turned over in the show {Winever, that the straight tangs 1 3 n Fig.

accomplish practically the same purpose.

The natural r ugh na r of the ca board in theout slits 2, serves to amply hold the plates in .p aee hen two itangs' a e crowded {into t e Sam slit- It is 'to'b served in a number of the views, especially "Figs. 7 and 8 that the tangs 13 .are in dined d ardly to f her a d t em i staying in place.

di tin tly no l fea r of his Sig resides in the use of ,apicture 'plate l l. This plate is provided with two or more and preferably four, 'tangs 13 by means of which the plate is securely fastened on the mount, v V V v In setting up a sign of this kind, special .emphasis is laid on .the fact that the letter plates 12 adjoin each other and that no spaces are-left between them. This "has an important advantage. The ground of a certain series of letterplates is to be made of a desiredcolor. Cardboard-mounts with grounds of various colors are also to be made. By the'use of the two, pleasing and attractive color combinations can be designed and the effect is heightened "by the continuous baseof the a plied letter plates. Here the advantage of the elimination of spaces between the plates "becomes apparent.

' lV hile the construction and arrangement ofthe'changeable sign is that of a generally inent of the stand} preferred form, obviously modifications and changes may be made without departing "iromthe spirit'of the invention or the scope of the claims. -*I claim:

1. A sign, comprising a mount with suit- .ably arranged slits, letter plates, and tangs c a 1 r ied by the letter plates, adjacent tangsof companion letter plat-es being inserted into a single slit, to hold the letter plates in place .hythe :mutual binding of one tang on ,theethe a tang-s includi g me s form d th zeen' tor reasing e te ien be we them.

A ig c mp ising a m unt ith ymmetrically arranged vertical s'lits, letter plates applicableto the 111011111 each havnge .pair .oftahg eempa entan ef :Panio'h :p be ng ihse tibl t a in e slit to ,frietionallybind :on each other and against th edges .01 th ejlit, d means e bodied in the' mount for holding it raised h m t t ble to pr ven th tense h riki g he table pon i ertion- A s ghmomprisihg a ha d-b ard moun wi h ho iz ntal 're'wsfef s its, let er plates applic b e t d mount, each having a .pa

ffi aags with eu wardly bentporti n g paniofi' t-ahg i cempei en ii atesfheihg rtible i t th am li qthee trem ed of the ben't portions engaging causing th exert on f a p e etween the-Plat and against h W l s 01f theeht; 011 the ba k of the .iheunt reinforcing it a acting as a sp e Wi eh laid on a ab sa d mean in ding rearwa dly di ect s eng hen ng m mb r ha r ed y the mount; a stand pivoted in certainones of said members and ar anged to fall within th 'le er-ene of aid membe when d sand lg f r l mi ing the ou a 11lov A sign, comp sing a mount w t a ground d ired c lor h ng e Pl ality of ymme e i ly rran d er c slits, and letter plates with grounds of contrashing c ler p ovided it tens jacent mugs of companion plates being in- ,ser ble in the ame :Sl t a d a r n to 'ly "b dfe lee h the an ex tension laterally against the edges of the s it wh n in rted, and pr e i h'htoke c ntra ting lette pla e'grelmd.

.J HN THO-Bean i lea -m of this patent may be obtained for :five cents each, hy' addressing the "fQommiSsi'onei' 91 12815811175;

Washington, 1). Q? 

